Learning analytics represent a promising approach for fostering personalized learning processes. Most applications of this technology currently do not use textual data for providing information on learning, or for deriving recommendations for further development. This paper presents the results of three studies aiming to make textual information usable. In the first study, the iota concept is introduced as a new content analysis measure to evaluate inter-coder reliability. The main advantage of this new concept is that it provides a reliability estimation for every single category, allowing deeper insight into the quality of textual analysis. The second study simulates the process of content analysis, comparing the new iota concept with well-established measures (e.g., Krippendorff’s Alpha, percentage agreement). The results show that the new concept covers the true reliability of a coding scheme, and is not affected by the number of coders or categories, the sample size, or the distribution of data. Furthermore, cut-off values are derived for judging the quality of the analysis. The third study employs the new concept, as it analyzes the performance of different artificial intelligence (AI) approaches for interpreting textual data based on 90 different constructs. The texts used here were either created by apprentices, students, and pupils, or were taken from vocational textbooks. The paper shows that AI can reliably interpret textual information for learning purposes, and also provides recommendations for optimal AI configuration.

The Thinking Styles Inventories (TSI) are questionnaires for assessing individual preferences in constructing knowledge. This paper identifies several problems concerning their validity, which range from an inadequate use of factor analysis, to missing information on the measurement model, to findings indicating a low discrimination between the thinking style scales. Against this background, two studies are conducted providing detailed insights into the measurement model of the TSI in German-speaking samples (Study I: 287 apprentices; Study II: 389 students). Although results indicate a high degree of reliability according to popular statistical rules, they confirm problems with the discriminant validity and criterion validity regarding achievement. The Thinking Styles Inventories should as a result be used with caution.

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Ausbildung der Lehrer/innen und der Ausbilder/innen (LA).

Choosing a career is one of the most fundamental decisions for young people, both personally and socially. The family, as well as practical experience, continue to be important influencing factors. At the same time, new studies indicate that media also plays a role that should not be underestimated when choosing a career. However, it is hardly known how young people currently use the media that is relevant to them. Given this, the article analyzes the role of the application "Instagram" for the career selection process of 14 students in the semi-qualifying vocational school (business). The study shows that career aspirations are not triggered by Instagram, but that particular career aspirations originate from practical experience and family environment. The results further show that young people use Instagram to collect information about their career aspirations and that Instagram above all reinforces the pupils' career aspirations. Especially for adolescents with only a secondary school certificate, Instagram creates This material is under copyright. Any use outside of the narrow boundaries a reinforcing spiral, as postulated for example by the social-cognitive theory of Lent, Brown and Hackett (1994). The article concludes that young people in classroom have to be informed about this reinforcement function of specific media. Die Berufswahl stellt sowohl in persönlicher als auch in gesellschaftlicher Hinsicht eine der grundlegendsten Entscheidungen für junge Menschen dar. Wichtige Einflussgrößen sind dabei nach wie vor das familiäre Umfeld sowie praktische Erfahrungen. Gleichzeitig deuten neue Studie an, dass auch Medien eine nicht zu unterschätzende Rolle bei der Berufswahl spielen. Wie Jugendliche jedoch konkret aktuelle Jugendmedien einsetzen, ist kaum bekannt. Vor diesem Hintergrund analysiert der Beitrag, welche Rolle die Applikation “Instagram" während der Berufswahlprozess von 14 Schüler(inne)n der teilqualifizierenden Berufsfachschule (Wirtschaft) zukommt. Die Studie zeigt, dass Berufswünsche nicht durch Instagram ausgelöst werden, sondern bestimmte Berufswünsche ihren Ursprung in praktischen Erfahrungen und im familiären Umfeld besitzen. Die Ergebnisse zeigen weiter, dass die Jugendlichen Instagram dazu nutzen, sich Informationen über den Berufswunsch einzuholen und Instagram vor allem eine Bestärkung des Berufswunsches der Jugendlichen bewirkt. Vor allem bei Jugendlichen mit einem Hauptschulabschluss wird so durch Instagram eine sich selbst verstärkende Spirale erzeugt, wie sie beispielsweise auch die sozial-kognitiven Theorie von Lent, Brown und Hackett (1994) postuliert. Der Beitrag schließt daraus, dass Jugendliche im Unterricht über diese Verstärkungsfunktion von Jugendmedien aufzuklären sind.